Escapism
by Masaichu
Summary: Every day, they endure Master's abuse. They know no other life outside of the pain they've learned to accept. But they still dream of one day finding 'that person.' The one who is their 'true Master'. An Iku/Ikuto Acme Story. Violence and sexual overtone.
1. Taking a Fall

**This story is rated Mature for langauge and allusions to torture and sexual references, mostly in this chapter. Chapters afterwards will contain less Mature content.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Iku Acme or Ikuto Acme. Iku Acme belongs to Studio X. Ikuto Acme is a fanmade Vocaloid, though if you are, or know of, his creator, please tell me and I will state it here.

Enjoy the first chapter!

--

The room is almost pitch black when she first enters, eyes scanning until she spots the vague image of the mattress sitting on the floor in the corner of the room.

She hesitates, then whispers into the darkness. "Ikuto-san...?"

No response is heard.

"...A-Are you here, Ikuto-san...?"

There's silence for a moment, before Iku hears the rustle of skin against cloth. Stepping inside, she closes the door behind her slowly, so Master won't catch them.

Creeping to the bed, she notices the Butlerloid's outfit laying all around the mattress, tattered up and even shredded on one of the sleeves. A shudder passes through her. What torture did Master choose this time?

"...Are you a-alright...?" Her voice trembles a bit, uneasy.

Standing over the mattress, she watches as her brother's figure slowly rises up. His hair is a matted mess, small clumps sticking to his wet cheeks. The only thing covering him is the small, single blanket Master allows him to have.

Iku's knees almost gave out from the sight, but it wasn't fully because of how he looked.

It was because she was the one who should be laying there crying.

--

_Master's footsteps are easy to hear when they come down the hallway. He always wears boots, which make those distinct 'clomp, clomp' noises. They know he is coming._

_He is coming for her, because it's her turn today._

_And she hasn't even recovered from last night._

_"Ikuto-san...! I-I don't...Want to do it today...M-Master says...He brought his f-friends...I don't want to m-meet them!"_

_They've gone through this before. But they don't like Master's friends._

_Master's friends hurt them._

_Master hurts them._

_Master keeps them locked away for when they are to be 'used'._

_"I-I know...Just...Iku-chan..." Ikuto's never looked so powerless in his life. His eyes scan over his sister's wounds, watching as she desperately tries to get her hair back into the onion-like accessory she's supposed to wear._

_The footsteps are growing closer. Her face looks even more filled with panic._

_He reaches for a moment, touches her arm. Studies the contorted look of pain on her face._

_"O-Ow! Ikuto-san, d-don't touch there!" She cries, before looking away. How wrong that sounds with her voice betraying her as it always does..._

_The footsteps stop. He's here._

_"Get out here, Iku! It's show time." The smirk on his face can be heard hinted in his voice._

_Iku's body trembled, tears forming in her eyes. She wouldn't, couldn't do this today! Her body hurt everywhere and everything felt as though it were spinning._

_She didn't want to taste those horrid tastes. She didn't want to be forced again...Not today, please, not again..._

_Beside her, Ikuto suddenly stood with a look of determination on his face._

_"E-Eh...? What are you d-doing, Ikuto-san...?" Iku asks, tilting her head with confusion. But he doesn't say a word, instead going to the door and opening it up slowly._

_Master is right in front of him, the smirk wiped off his face when Ikuto comes out. "I asked for her, not you. Unless you're so eager to join her, you little slut."_

_He cringes at the verbal abuse, but shuts his eyes and takes it anyway. "No...I...I want to...Go in h-her place, Master. Take me instead." Iku's gasp is heard even by him._

_"N-No! Ikuto-san, you don't have to do that! I-I'll be okay! Y-You can't-"_

_"Just stay out of it, Iku!" His voice was firm, though he immediately felt bad for raising his voice towards her. Master gave a look of amusement at the two before grabbing Ikuto's arm rather violently._

_"You really want to take her place? You have guts, but you're not going to have them once we're done with you."_

_Iku ran towards the door, lunging for Ikuto's arm. She had to reach him, grab him, take him away._

_But she was too late._

_The door slammed and she was left standing in fear and shock._

_Ikuto had taken her turn. Her 'punishment'._

_What would Master and Master's friends do to him? Not what they'd done to her, oh God please no..._

_She fell to her knees and wept, for Ikuto and for herself._

_What had they done to deserve a life of constant abuse?_

--

The mattress is hard to sit on, being so close to the ground, but despite this, Iku lowered herself until she sat on the side of it.

Ikuto stared up at her with a tearful look, bringing his arm up and wiping at his eyes with a sniffle. She knew he'd been crying, but she said nothing.

She knew perfectly why, but wished that she didn't.

"Ikuto-san..." Her voiced cracked. Reaching her hand out, her hand met the Butlerloid's wet cheek. Up and down, she stroked it gently until Ikuto moved forward, turning his body the other way before falling into her lap.

His body shivered like a leaf, shoulders jerking up and down as choked sobs ran through him.

Everywhere, every time he moved, there was pain.

The bend of his elbow was bruised, his leg was skinned up badly, and of course, his lower regions burned with unbearable intensity.

Iku reached down and touched the middle of his back, feeling the various muscles tense up the moment her fingertips made contact with his overly sensitive skin.

They both had that, unfortunately. Being overly sensitive all over. It served only to give Master more enjoyment.

"Iku...chan..." He choked out between his cries. "I...I did it...Do you feel...Any better...?"

Her own tears threatened to spill this time. How could he still be thinking about her and her needs and safety when she was the very reason he was laying here in misery?

She wanted to ask what Master did.

The sounds were still in her mind...

--

_"P-Please, no, Master! Don't! Not there...!"_

_Iku's body shook as she pressed her ear against the door, catching the sounds of Ikuto's anguish, and Master's entourage laughing at him._

_"A-Ah...! No...No! Master, please no...! Stop!" He was begging, but she couldn't hear Master make a single sound._

_In her mind, she pictured what they could have been doing to him, but each possibility seemed worse than the last._

_Being bound and blindfolded._

_Choked and gagged with the most horrid tastes imaginable._

_Unwanted pleasure gained by whatever Master could get his hands on._

_The Maidloid shook her head and held back her tears. If she ran in there, they would hurt her too. That wasn't what Ikuto would want her to do._

_But would he really want her to just stand here and do nothing?_

_"Stop! Stop...! No, Master...! Don't...Do that...! No no no!!"_

_A click._

_A flash under the door._

_Pictures for enjoyment? They've had it happen..._

_Blackmail, perhaps? Master will do anything to keep them here..._

_"Stay still, you little whore. Stop squirming or I'll-!"_

_"M-Master, no-!"_

_CRACK._

_CRACK._

_CRACK._

_The sobs and screams of pain that ripped from his throat afterwards carried on for minutes, but in Iku's mind it lasted years._

_More clicking, more flashing, more crying._

_She hesitates, before running from the door._

_That's supposed to be her in there. It's supposed to be her._

_Listening to Ikuto is like listening to herself, only it brings more regret than if she were listening to her own voice._

_He took a fall for her._

_And now, she wonders if he'll even emerge from that room alive. _

--

The scars and bruises riddling his body ache in such a way that he feels like a human inferno.

Iku's fingers are in his hair now, combing through the short green locks. Quickly, he checks to make sure the blanket isn't falling from around his waist. He wants to keep himself hidden.

Wants to make sure she doesn't see the pain they caused.

"Y-You...Didn't have to do this...For me, Ikuto-san..." She sounds ready to start crying. Despite the pain he was in, Ikuto managed to reach a hand up and touch her cheek the way she had touched his.

His lips parted, ready to speak. Then they closed again. He didn't know what to say. He could barely talk past his crying, so what was he to do?

Instead, he curled his body up into a semi-tight ball in her lap, his arm dropping off her.

With little knowledge on how to help, Iku did the only thing she knew she could.

Her hands glided along his upper body with ease, rubbing small circles along the most aching of areas. A soft groan escaped his lips, which meant it was working.

Ikuto always did this for her when Master had beaten her as badly as this. They weren't strangers to each others touch, nor each others looks.

They dressed together, ate together (when Master gave them food), slept often on that same mattress together...

Siblings bonded by the helpless position of this forced life...

Momentarily, Ikuto closed his eyes and tried to forget about the pain and the memory of what Master had done to him. Feigning sleep, something suddenly woke him from his vague doze.

Above him, Iku leaned forward, her lips pressed to his forehead in a chaste kiss. He shivered a moment before growing accustomed to the feeling, his eyes closing again with exhaustion.

The burning still persisted, and the emotional trauma was still quite visible. But Iku...She quelled the deepest of the pain within him.

That pain that constantly tore at his heart.

She was his only escape from Master, just as he was her's.

Maybe someday, they would be able to escape from this place...But Master...Would he catch them...?

"...I'm s-sorry...Ikuto-san..."

Iku sniffled slightly above him, still feeling responsible for what had occurred. He merely shook his head, keeping his eyes closed.

"I chose to d-do it...You...You didn't deserve w-what Master was going to do..."

"What did he do...?" She questioned.

Ikuto never answered though, falling into forced sleep right then and there. Once again, Iku was left alone with so many questions and so few answers.

But she knew the answer to one.

That she would stay here by her brother's side all night. And she would try and think. Think of a way to get out of here and to freedom. To a place where no one would criticize them and hurt them.

Perhaps...A place where the perfect Master was.

Wherever that Master was, she hoped they would come soon.

Tucking the blanket over Ikuto's middle, her hand caressed his shoulder blade while her mind dove deep into thought...

--

_Click._

_Creak._

_"...Well, what do you know. It's you. Why're you back here? I thought you said you weren't going to get involved in anything."_

_"I'm not planning on it."_

_"Oh, yeah right. C'mon, you know you could make a good, few quick bucks just by getting on this business. What do you say, huh? Won't you accept?"_

_"I came here to get what I wanted, that's it."_

_"Yeah? What the Hell do you want that makes you come back here?"_

_"I want __them.__"_

_"Everyone wants them."_

_"Not that way, you idiot. You know what mean."_

_"...No way! Get lost! If you think I'm giving them up-"_

_"Then name a price."_

_"...What?"_

_"I said name your __price__. I'll give you any amount of money you want. Just give them to me."_

_"Do you think I'm stupid? Are you really that crazy to believe I'll do that?!"_

_"Actually, yes. Yes, I do think that. Because I have a deal to make with you that I hope you'll find worth your while..."_


	2. Early Awakening

**Master and Masuta are two seperate people, before anyone asks. From here on out, Masuta refers to the next person who will appear in this story.**

**Enjoy.**

--

The young Maidloid snaps up when she hears the loud ramming of something against the door. She registers it as Master banging on the door...But why? What for?

What time is it, anyway?

Why-

"Get your lazy asses up! You better be out here in five minutes or I swear, I'll-" He stops short, but they're already moving anyway.

Iku felt her body shake suddenly, looking down to see Ikuto scrambling up from her lap. He clutches a wad of the blanket in his fist, keeping himself covered while he searches in the darkness for his clothes.

"Hurry it up in there!" Master yells again, before finally quieting a moment.

"I-Ikuto-san, what's going on...?" She asks, yawning slightly while watching him. He doesn't answer her though, too preoccupied with his search.

Groping his hand blindly along the floor, Ikuto grabbed up his clothes and set them beside him on the mattress, staying beneath the blanket while shimmying into his boxers and pants.

Master's voice boomed at them again, suddenly. "Pack up whatever damn junk you have with you! Augh..." It sounds like someone else is with him...

And...What does he mean? Iku looks about frantically. Pack up? Pack what up? They own next to nothing besides the clothes on their backs, and even then...

Ikuto stands up, letting the blanket fall away. Already he was working on straightening his butler suit, before pulling on socks and shoes.

Why was Master doing this?

Were they going out again, to that place Master had taken them a few times before...?

Oh, he hoped not...He truly hoped not...The people there were just like Master, all of them. And having more than one Master was like...He couldn't even bring himself to think about it.

"W-What do we pack...?" Iku asked, slowly standing while studying the empty room.

The room was bare, with no decoration or furniture to speak of. All they owned that was considered precious was each other's prescence, and anything else was merely something Master gave them to live off of.

"I'm not sure-"

**"I said get the Hell out here!!"**

Shivering, Iku flung her arms around Ikuto and gripped on, forgetting he was still fragile and in pain. Her sudden grasp made Ikuto gasp and cry out in pain. Retracting her arms, she stepped away from him with a look of fear.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! P-Please, I'm sorry, Ikuto-san!"

"I'm...Fine..." He lies, choking back the groans that want to escape. The burning in his area begins to flare up again.

Before they can leave, Master tears the door open with a look of annoyence and anger. A small scream leapt from Iku's throat.

"Either get out here, or I'll **make **you come out." He glared at them before lashing out, grabbing Ikuto's arm and pulling it hard.

"A-Ah! Master, t-that hurts!"

"Good! It had better hurt! If you don't get out, I'll tear it right off if I have to!"

Tears formed in the corner of the Butlerloid's eyes. It hurt, it hurt, everything was hurting again! He wants it stop, make it stop...!

Behind him, Iku's hands pull on the back of his suit, tugging him away from Master and pulling him into a protective hug, which he returns. The siblings clung to one another in fear. What would happen to them?

There was a long silence between them, until Master motions for them to leave, walking out ahead of them.

No other choice is given but to follow, filled with uncertainty.

Down the hallway they go, the long walk feeling unusually longer then it should. Each step Ikuto took made him wince, and every little jerk made Iku grip on tighter.

When they reach the living room, there is company to be found.

Standing in front of the Acme siblings stood a girl with short, brown hair, with a sky blue shirt covered in clouds and long black pants.

Her arms were crossed, and she didn't look too happy to be here.

Master came up to her, reaching back and pulling the two along behind him forcefully. "I got them, happy?"

"Very...Now it's time to pay the deal."

"I hope you know what you're fucking doing. Without them, where else will the customers go?"

"They'll find someone else. They always do anyway." She shrugs nonchalantly. Iku stared almost in awe, wishing she had that much courage to stand up against Master.

The girl reached into her pocket, pulling out a paper of some sort and gave it to him, receiving a glare before the two were shoved in her direction.

"W-What's going on, Master...?" Ikuto asks, legs quaking slightly.

Out of all the time he'd spent here, never had he been given a look as dark and infuriated as the one Master gave him.

"Shut up and get yourself out of my damn house. I don't care what you do now, just get out and never fucking step foot in here again!!"

Whoever she is, the girl slowly pulls Iku and Ikuto towards her, glaring at the man that they called their 'Master'.

"Stay away if you know what's good for you. We had a deal, and I swear that if you ever break it, you're going to regret it forever."

A final glare, and she's heading for the door, leading the two on either side of her.

With the little courage she could muster, Iku glanced over her shoulder, taking in her final glimpse of the house before being shooed out the door fast.

The outside world feels cool and misty, a harsh breeze sending chills up her spine. High above, the sky was still darkened.

Sitting in the driveway is a small red car, large enough for four people. The brunette haired girl opened the back door, urging them to get inside. "Come how, hurry both of you."

Ikuto didn't hesitate, climbing inside and sitting on the far left seat. A second later, Iku is sitting beside him before fiddling with the seat belt. She hadn't been in a car for so long, she'd nearly forgotten how to put it together.

She jumps when the door shuts, and the girl gets in the drivers seat.

"Are you two alright?" Her tone is much different than the one she spoke to Master with.

"...I-I think so..." Stutters Iku, her gaze turning towards the house distractedly.

"Tell me your names."

When Iku doesn't respond, her brother does instead. "I'm I-Ikuto...And she's Iku...My sister." He adds quickly, somehow feeling like it must be stated.

"Ah...You may call me Masuyo."

"Masuta?" Iku swerved her head back to the front, staring. Masuyo stared back through the front mirror, before shaking her head.

"Masuyo."

"Masuta..."

Tugging on her ponytail, the Maidloid felt her cheeks turning red. She'd grown so used to saying 'Master'...Now she couldn't even say this person's name right?

"...You will learn. Let's just go..."

"Where are we going? Is Master coming?" Ikuto interrupts, a tiny clench in his fist.

"We're going...Well, we're going far away. And...No. No, he isn't coming with us."

Something that felt very much like relief flooded through the male, and he found himself almost falling onto his side on the seat. As though he were about to faint.

He was beaten to that, though, as Iku abandoned trying to snap the seat belt and instead settled for laying upon the seat, resting her head on Ikuto's leg. His blurry gaze trailed down to meet hers, fingers absentmindedly beginning to fiddle with her long ponytail.

"Ikuto-san...We're leaving...?" Her voice trailed off, eyes closing as the sleeplessness of the night took her over.

"...Yes, Iku...We're leaving for good and...We're never going back, r-right, Masuta?"

Masuyo couldn't help but sigh. Again with the whole 'Master' routine...

"Yeah, for good. And...Please don't call me that, okay? You don't have to."

"I-I can't help it..." He looked away, wishing his voice didn't sound so awkward in that moment.

With a shake of her head, Masuyo started the car up and backed up out of the driveway, before starting to drive off. Catching her last gaze of the house, Iku realized it was the first time she had seen the outside of the building clearly since she and her brother had first stepped inside of it.

There was so much more she wished to ask, but her body's crying need for sleep took over first, and she easily dropped off ten minutes within the drive.

Her hearing just barely picked up Ikuto and Masuyo speaking with one another, but her dreams overshadowed their echoed voices, until she only heard one voice aside from theirs.

Ikuto's words resounded in her head over and over.

_"Never going back...We're never going back..."_


	3. Run Upon Arrival

At some point during the car ride, Iku felt a hand place itself on her hip and shake her slightly. Even though she knew it was time to wake up, part of her didn't want to bother opening her eyes.

The car was full of warm, wonderful air, and it was so comfortable to lay like this. When had she ever slept so well before?

Her side shook slightly, but Iku still didn't budge, instead burying her self a bit deeper into Ikuto's leg, the smooth cloth from his pant leg feeling great on her cheek.

This must be exactly how a cat feels when it rubs against it's owner's legs...

"I-Iku-chan...Please wake up..." Ikuto whimpered above her, now using both hands to shake her.

"...I don't want to get up..." Her eyes opened ever so slightly, gazing up at her brother's worried expression. She wished he didn't always worry about her, he should worry about himself too...

"Is she awake back there?" Masuyo's voice cuts in, staring ahead while turning the car to the left and killing the engine.

"Y-Yes!" Ikuto blurted before Iku could respond, his cheeks turning bright red. He hadn't meant to yell, let alone have his voice suddenly sound so...Strange. Like the voice Master liked. The voice Master made him use when it was 'time.'

Masuyo turned around to look at him, making him shiver and turn away. He didn't want to see her face, which he was sure had the look on it that everyone gave him.

"...Let's go then." She said simply, getting out of the car.

Fraught with curiosity, Iku sat up and looked out the window, rubbing her eyes which were filled with blurriness. "Wha...Where are we...?" She murmured, gaze fixed to the window.

The sky had gone from a blue-midnight to a cloudy gray, clouds looming over dangerously.

A knock came from the window next to Ikuto, startling the pair before they hastily piled out of the car. It was only then that they registered that this was a driveway they were in.

In front of them stood a two story house, painted with a light leaf green and a white roof, several bushes surrounding the house with pretty pink flowers they'd never seen before.

It was strange to look at house that wasn't the one they'd stayed in for so long.

"Welcome to your new home." Masuyo said, extending her arm out to her side in a presenting fashion.

Iku let out a soft gasp, her brother's eyes tripling in size.

"...New home?" Her voice became light with a whisper, something that was normally hard for her to accomplish willingly.

"B-But we have a home with Master..." Ikuto added in, though Iku gave him a small look.

It wasn't exactly a 'home' per say.

Brushing a lock of brown hair from her face, Masuyo shook her head and searched for the right words. Twisting her face into a slight scowl, it inflated back into a small smile.

"But you'll like it better here...You won't have to stay in one room all the time. And you can do anything you want to without needing to ask someone."

Watching the two with a nervous smile, she prayed inwardly that they wouldn't ask too much. Not now, at least. Not yet.

"...Are you...Are you o-our new Masuta...?" Squeaked Iku, ducking behind her brother for fear of being wrong.

The last time she'd been wrong about something, Master had slapped her across the face and it remained swollen in blue and black for an entire week.

Masuyo made no attempt to strike her, however.

Instead, she shook her head and put a palm to her forehead, rubbing it as though a headache were coming on. "Please, you really don't need to call me that..."

"B-But we need a Masuta!" Countered Ikuto, balling his hands into fists. "We need a Masuta or we can't do anything!"

"No, you don't need someone to do that..."

"Master said we-"

"Master isn't here, is he?" She didn't like having to say that, but knew it was needed. "Just come inside, we'll discuss this. I'll bet you're both starving, anyway..."

--

Inside, the house had distinct scent that seemed like a combination between lemons and vanilla. Some spots, one scent over powered the other. Ikuto's eyes watered up whenever he got too close to a spot with a lot of lemon, but they adjusted to it fairly quickly.

The kitchen was nicer than Master's. Much more clean and organized, and no spatters of food on the walls in some areas.

Leading them in, Masuyo went straight for the fridge. "You're both going to be staying here from now on." She paused for a minute before quickly adding in, "You can leave though if you want to. To go out and...Yeah..."

This would be harder than it sounded, judging from the look on the pair's faces.

Being a Maidloid and a Butlerloid, they were only going to respond to what they were told, so she had to make sure she said it right the first time, in a clear way.

Otherwise, it could turn into a mess.

Iku shifted her eyes around the room, cautiously taking in her surroundings. "Why are we staying here...?"

"Because..." Masuyo thought a moment. "Because Master doesn't want you to stay with him anymore." It was the clearest thing she could think up, and besides, it wasn't _entirely_ a lie.

Closing the fridge, the brunette pulled out two chairs from the table and motioned for them to come sit.

Despite wanting to ask more, Iku kept her mouth shut and sat quietly, looking back at Ikuto. Something seemed...off.

He stared at the other chair, a curled fist pressed against his lips. That was a habit of his, whenever he became nervous. What was there to be nervous about?

"Ne, come and sit down." Masuyo urged. He merely shook his head in response, rather rapidly at that.

With a sheepish expression, Ikuto tried his best to give a half-hearted smile. "N-No, really! I'm fine with standing! I've been sitting too much, anyhow..." He prayed she had bought it.

But she didn't.

"Nonsense. Go on, sit and I'll make you a nice meal."

"Ikuto-san..."

Outnumbered and defeated, the green haired boy bowed his head towards the floor exhaustively and walked to the chair. He managed to sit himself down for at least a minute, before jumping back up again with a painful expression. "Ah!!"

Both girls turned to him as he lept from his chair, knees knocking together while wincing over and over.

_'It's back...The pain...It's back...'_

"I-Ikuto-san! What's wrong?" Iku stood from her chair fast. Stepping forward to approach him, Ikuto backed up further with each step she took.

_'The pain, the pain! It won't go away!'_

One hand trails down his leg. He wants to touch, to stop. But he can't. Not here.

Someone reaches for his other hand, and he whirls around to face them. Masuyo's face is etched with concern. "Is something wrong? Why are you suddenly so-"

_'Make it stop!'_

"Ikuto-san..."

_'Make it STOP!'_

"Calm down and tell us-"

Wrenching away from their sight, Ikuto ran down the hallway aimlessly. He had no clue where he was going, but his eyes darted around in search for a place, any place he could hide.

He settled for the next door on his left and slammed it shut, satisfied to find that it could be locked.

Pressing his back against the door, the Butlerloid slid down it until he sat on the floor, his breath raspy. When finally his mind caught up with him, he dragged his arm up the wall slightly to find a light switch.

With a flick, the room illuminated with light, and he found himself sitting on the bathroom floor.

--

Any knocks on the door proved unsuccessful for an answer, and Iku found herself giving up and going back into the kitchen. Masuyo was already frying up something on the stove.

"Did he say anything?" She inquired.

Iku shook her head. "No...Nothing..." Drawing out a sigh, she slumped back into her chair to resume her place. What had gotten into Ikuto lately?

"Maybe all this is just a bit too much for him right now." Masuyo suggested. It was worth throwing something out there to think about, anyway. Although, the feeling in her gut was telling her a thousand other things.

Mumbling something to herself, Iku closed her eyes and listened to the steam and sparks crackling from the frying pan. Master had never made them anything special to eat like this girl did. He always gave them something that minuscule with value in terms of food.

Any number of times, Ikuto and her had most likely suffered some source of food poisoning, whether it made them sick to the stomach or lay in bed all day.

Whatever sat in the pan smelled wonderful to her. Iku hoped that her brother would come out soon and share some of it with her when it was done...

--

He hopes that he isn't breaking a rule by doing this without asking, but it's an emergency, so...

Turning the large, silver dial to the left, the faucet of the bathtub slowly begins streaming semi-warm water before quickly evolving into a rush of cold water.

Checking again to make sure the drain is plugged, Ikuto watched the water fall into the porcelain bathtub.

Almost as though the water put him into a trance.

The feeling was easily shaken off though, and he stepped back and begin pardoning his uniform off himself.

First came the boots, which he was more than happy to take off. Blisters always seemed imminent when he wore them, but what else did he have? Maybe he could find a nice, comfortable pair of dress shoes around here...

Then the rest came off rather spontaneously. Unbuttoning the suit, zipping off the black pants, untying the white, slightly frilly neckerchief...

And he tried to be as slow as he could. Easing everything off carefully, as though he were wearing a bomb.

The pain made itself right at home again, burning intensely throughout his stomach and lower regions. Ikuto gasped and clenched the corner of the sink, trying to recompose himself.

He couldn't tell, wouldn't tell. It was much too embaressing to tell them about this, and especially when he didn't for sure if anything was actually _wrong_.

Maybe it was just pain from taking Iku's turn that day. He could have over done it all, that was it.

Yet, the thought still lingered that he could be sick as well. Oh, but no! He couldn't possibly be getting sick with anything! Not when he had to keep moving, keep being strong like he always had been!

He looked to the tub and found the water had climbed high enough, thankfully.

Taking a deep breath, Ikuto tested the water by dipping his foot in it. A high squeal almost let loose as he jumped back. It was freezing! Or at least close enough to it!

Though, that had been his intention.

Before the pain could burst again, he stepped back into the water and didn't pull out this time.

Getting his other foot in, Ikuto's body shook already with the thought of impending chills.

One last deep breath, and down he bent to sit all the way. He had to cover his mouth with his hands as soon as he was immersed in the tub, a muffled yell screaming into his palm.

The burning seared incredibly before reducing itself to a sting.

Arm leaning on the rim, his emerald eyes closed as he let the cold water do it's job...

--

"Aren't you going to eat any of it?" Asked Masuyo, pointing at Iku's plate. She understood that maybe the girl wanted to wait for her brother, but wasn't she hungry by now?

Shaking her head, Iku looked back down the hallway in hopes that Ikuto would coming walking down it any minute.

Her mouth felt perpetually sewn shut, as even though there were many things she wanted to ask and to say, none of them could make it past the lump in her throat.

Although she willed herself to wait until Ikuto came to eat, her stomach was betraying her with growls and hunger pains.

"It tastes better when it's hot you know..."

Masuyo still pressed on, trying to will her to eat.

Finally, after a few more minutes of waiting, Iku caved in and took up her fork. The first bite was the tastiest.

And everything after it was merely savoring that first taste over and over.

She gobbled it all up, and asked for seconds, and even then Ikuto wasn't there still. But her mind had gone elsewhere, and she stopped worrying just a bit.

Not much.

But just a little bit.

The only other thing on her mind was Master. What was Master doing right now? Perhaps Master missed them! After all, he had let them stay for so long...

Then again, he'd only kept them for their 'purposes'. Shuddering with that thought in mind, Iku turned to look out the window by the counter top, staring at the outside world.

It would be nice to go out there again...They hadn't been out for such a long time, and just the car ride here had felt great.

She'd have to ask Ikuto later, though. And Masuta too, of course!

Masuta wouldn't do the things Master had done.

Right?

"You sure must be hungry..." Masuyo commented, giving a surprised look at much food Iku had already packed away. Taking the plate off the table, she went to the stove to get more. "Hopefully he comes out and eats some of it before you take it all."

The Maidloid just giggled nervously.

Masuta was going to be better than Master. Masuta wouldn't hurt them, she'd make them happy!

Why did she feel like she couldn't be trusting?


	4. Normal Equals Luxery

By the time Ikuto had manged to haul himself from the frozen tub of water, Masuyo and Iku had retreated into the living room.

He shuffled over to the doorway nervously, now wearing his entire butler outfit as he went. What if this Masuta wanted them to stay in their uniforms? He would not dare to find out the hard way if they were not allowed to take them off.

Peeking inside, Ikuto caught sight of his sister sitting on the couch. Her eyes were glued to the television set just a bit further away, and in her hand was the remote.

Masuyo leaned back in an armchair next to the couch, a look of distinct amusement on her face. Almost every five seconds, Iku would go from one channel to the next.

"You act like you've never seen a TV before." She laughed, though in the back of her mind, she was almost afraid that such a thing could possibly be the case.

"Master never let us use it..." Iku spoke quietly. Almost whispering as she continued.

Click.

Click.

So many channels! So many shows! She'd never seen so many different things to watch!

Back home, Master never let them use the television unless they were extremely lucky. But even then, it was usually just the news.

No news was good news anymore, and she didn't like listening to depressing stuff...

For a moment, Iku didn't appear to notice her brother's presence looming in the doorway. "U-Um...I...I'm...Here..." His voice trembled with uncertainty.

The Maidloid nearly dropped the remote to the floor in startled concentration, but was all more than welcome that Ikuto was alright now.

"A-Ah! Ikuto, y-you came out! What was wrong...?"

Her query turned Ikuto into a jumble of uneasy words and stuttering. No, no, he wasn't ready to tell them yet! To tell _anyone_ yet!

Putting on the best face he could, Ikuto forced a tiny smile from his lips and cocked his head a bit to the side for added effect. "I just needed a little time to think. That was all. A-All this is rather...Sudden..."

"Oh..." Iku's voice turned quiet and little. Like that of a child whom had been told 'no' too many times before.

Her mood changed quickly however, as she motioned for him to come and sit next to her. Ikuto shook his head rapidly, feeling as though sitting would only hurt again.

"Come on, you don't have to be worried. Sit down, kick back and relax..." Ushered Masuyo. "Go ahead and take off those boots and all that other fancy stuff." She eyed the Butlerloid's uniform with a sense of strange animosity.

"I-It feels very nice~" Iku commented, pointing over at her shoes laying near the side of the couch. Her bare feet felt much more comfortable against the soft carpet.

Fidgeting with needless worry, Ikuto sat himself down on the couch slowly, and obliged by taking off the boots. It _did_ feel rather good to let his blistered feet rest...

With a tiny smile, the tight neckerchief that often choked at his neck also came off as well. Iku giggled at his look of awe. There wasn't a time he could remember feeling so relaxed.

Scooting her body closer to his, the petit green-head rested her cheek on Ikuto's shoulder with a contented sigh. "O-Oh...You missed dinner...The taste was so much better than back home..."

"Ne, don't worry...I won't let him go hungry, Iku. I saved some of it just for him. Of course, if you want fresh food, I'll prepare it..." Masuyo rambled on, almost seeming embarrassed for her continuing babble.

She always had posessed that habit of awkwardly going on with a subject so long as she thought someone was listening, though most of the time they were just pretending to be interested in what she had to say. These two though...They didn't seem to care if she kept going on. In fact, they almost seemed to be enjoying it.

"Masuta..." Iku cut in, interrupting her thinking. "Are we really staying here from now on...?"

Masuyo couldn't help the smile on her face. "Yes, of course you are. You're never going back to him. I promise you that much."

"B-But where will we sleep?" Ikuto gave a worried look.

"There are other bedrooms here that you can have all to yourself."

All to themselves? That was a new concept to Iku. For as long as she could remember, the single little room they could call their own had been shared by her and Ikuto since Master had first brought them inside.

They'd grown accustomed to sharing every single thing they had.

Yes, having some space to herself did sound pleasurable, but the idea of not having Ikuto in the room to protect her from whatever may decide to burst inside...

"Would you like me to show them to you right now?" Masuyo stood up from the chair before any reply was given, brushing back her short hair before walking out the doorway.

Jumping up, Iku zipped out after her, before backtracking and peering in to watch Ikuto struggle his way back on his feet and run after as well.

--

It was clear Masuyo hadn't lied about the bedrooms being rather nice for what they were. Iku's was covered in rosy pink wallpaper and a soft, cobalt carpet. The bed was very soft, unlike the hard mattress she'd spent sleepless nights on.

Ikuto's room was covered in smooth beige wallpaper instead, but the same flooring was there. The sight of him trying out the bed before melting into a laying position had made both girls laugh a bit.

"It's already getting late," She told them, "So I think it would be best if you two got to bed early."

When the two reminded her that they didn't have any night clothes to change into, she presented them with two of her old gowns. Iku took hers with a small smile, though Ikuto was skeptical.

Masuyo rubbed the back of her head and gave him a nervous smile. "Sorry, I don't have any guy clothes...But we can look for some tomorrow. Is that okay just for tonight?"

He nodded quickly, adding in a slight bow. "T-Thank you, Masuta..."

"Masuyo..." She attempted to correct, but sighed and shrugged. "Oh, and if either of you need anything..." She pointed down the hallway at a room a little further away. "I'll be in my room. Wake me up if you need something."

And with that, she bid them goodnight and walked towards her bedroom, leaving the two with their own business.

--

If there was ever a time where she felt most comfortable, Iku would have no trouble saying it was right now.

The maid outfit she normally war was now stripped off her person and laying on the nearby floor, and she placed her onion hair accessory on top of the dresser, her long hair now practically all the way down her back.

Slipping into the clean, soft material of the nightgown gave a refreshing feeling to her skin.

Plopping herself into the bed, Iku cuddled her cheek against the pillow with a contented smile. Yes, this was perfect, utterly perfect...

...And yet, when she opened her eyes again and stared into the darkness in front of her, it didn't feel so perfect anymore.

Something was missing.

_Someone_ was missing.

The darkness felt like it was growing, spreading. Surrounding her.

Just like when Master pinned her down and surrounded her with strange objects, strange things. Bad things. Bad thoughts.

Master isn't here. Masuta is here, and Masuta is nice...

But Masuta knows her old Master.

And what if he knows where they are? What if he comes back? What if-

She feels sweat pouring down her neck, and the covers feel constricting.

Without a word, Iku stood from the bed and ran from the room, leaving her other clothes abandoned. It won't matter anyway, she'll get new ones. She doesn't want to wear that thing. That thing Master made her wear and cherish for having at all.

The only thing she cherishes now is Ikuto.

Her fear of waking him up from a good sleep was quelled almost instantly. She knocked upon his door, almost right next to her own, and found him as wide awake as herself.

He took her inside without any questions.

--

When the two 'guests' didn't come out when Masuyo called them the next morning, she went to investigate. Iku's door was open slightly, and no one was inside.

Ikuto's room was another story.

A smile curved on her lips when she found them sleeping in the bed together. Their bodies were turned so they were facing each other, Ikuto's arm draped over his sister's shoulder and Iku's hand pressed against her brother's chest.

Tempting as it was to try and wake them up, Masuyo instead shook her head a little and closed the door as quietly as she could.

Breakfast could always wait until later, and there were still a few more matters she had to plan out for them involving that afternoon...


	5. Broken Doll's Dream

_..._

_Standing in a dim area. Outside. Hidden. Hiding._

_Hiding in the shadows of the back alley, behind the general store and the old apartment that looks ready to fall apart at any moment. Standing with Master's fingers wrapped loosely around her throat._

_She wants to scream but she knows that she will die within seconds if she attempts._

_Master whispering that he will kill her if she doesn't do what he says. She believes it, believes every word. Believes that he will bring her to an inch of her life as he's done before. No mercy, no worry. Nothing._

_Eyes glancing up at her brother, frail and trembling on the sidewalk only a few feet away. He looks uncomfortable, eyes darting about to see if anyone has noticed his presence in a way they shouldn't._

_Master handing her a small remote control._

_"Turn it on."_

_She does nothing._

_"Make him cry. I want to see him cry. I want him to beg for mercy on his knees."_

_Her thumb sits on top of the switch, unmoving._

_Master's hand tightens around her breath, pushes the life out of her, destroys it._

_Pushing that switch means destroying her brother's remaining sliver of shame in the public eye._

_Not pushing it means destroying herself, and possibly him as well in the process._

_She can't win. Either way, she won't win. She'll never win._

_"I said __**do it.**__" Master's hand feels like a snake constricting around her neck, preparing to snap it and eat her alive._

_She has no choice._

_She turns the switch on._

_It doesn't seem to do anything at first. Then she hears it._

_Her brother's heavy panting, his body beginning to tremble a bit as he brings one hand down to rest on his knee. He wants to touch. He needs to touch. Needs to get away before it's too late._

_"Master, what..." She begins to speak, Master's hand shuts her up._

_"That remote is the controller for his...'punishment.'" She can't see Master, but she can practically hear the smirk in his voice. "You, my dear, sweet little toy, are going to be the one controlling it."_

_"B...But...Master...Why must I-"_

_Hand clenching around neck. She stops asking questions._

_Ikuto stands only a few feet away, his breathing growing heavier and heavier. He wants to run down the street, wants to scream for help as loud as he can and hope someone will believe him. But Master knows how to get away with everything. He said so himself. He said he could do it. Ikuto knows he can do it._

_She starts out easy on him, just barely moving the switch from it's resting position. Master is quick to notice. His hand grabs her own._

_Master's hand is warm, it feels strange. Master isn't warm._

_Master is cold._

_Master is as cold as stone._

_A startled yelp gallops in front of her._

_Master's moving the switch for her, scaling it up the remote faster, until it's to the middle of the tiny controller._

_Her green eyes immediately flicker to her brother, who cringes on the sidewalk._

_Twitching over and over, trying hard to suppress the moans that so desperately want to escape. People are beginning to look over, to stare. He can't take it, it's making him nervous. All of these eyes staring at him, all of these minds judging him._

_"M...Master..." He can barely whisper, his throat feels dry. He's thirsty, unable to form words when his throat feels locked up like this. Is this how his sister feels right now?_

_The vibrations coming from his lower waist grow more intense, and Ikuto is too startled to keep himself under control much longer. She can hear it from where she is standing, her brother letting a loud, low moan bellow from his throat._

_People are snickering, whispering. Looking over. Some are walking over. Master is snickering behind her. He likes this, he wants this. He wants Ikuto to suffer._

_"Turn it all the way up now, Iku."_

_Her mind doesn't register his words. This isn't happening._

_None of it is happening._

_So wake up already. This a dream, isn't it?_

_A nightmare._

_Wake up._

_Wake up._

_Wake up._

_"I said turn it UP, Iku."_

_Master's hand closes around her throat as tight as he can, and she feels like she is drowning. Master is drowning her with oxygen. Without oxygen. Without life.  
_

_She coughs. Sputters. Flounders with fear clearly visible in her eyes._

_And then, for a moment, she sees him._

_Ikuto's body shifting around to turn to her, look at her. Away from those coming close to him, whispering and mocking._

_Those pleading eyes._

_Begging her, pleading with her._

_'Help me, help me! Don't let them do this to me! Help!'_

_She can't help him._

_She can't even help herself right now._

_Master releases her for a moment, whispers to her. Tells her what he will do if she doesn't turn the switch up as high as it can go._

_"...I'm sorry...I'm sorry, Ikuto..." She manages to speak, before shutting her eyes and hearing the remote click itself into place._

_She doesn't see what happens next._

_She doesn't want to see._

_To see Ikuto throw his head back and cry out with tears in his eyes, a trail of warm, watery liquid now running down his leg._

_To see the crowd around him gossip and laugh, insult him. Call him things she never thought even Master would say._

_To see the world crumble around her brother as his last shred of dignity is torn from his hands by his own sister._

_..._


End file.
